Demetrio Jagunos, the Area Manager of Nordeco during a virtual press conference on “Continuing Challenges and Threats Against Electric Cooperatives and other Pressing Concerns in the Energy Sector” held on Feb. 14 said, legislators should take note that 94,755 member-consumer owners signed a Manifesto against the take-over of Nordeco by DLPC.
He said if the House of Representatives deprived Nordeco of its right to due process by passing HB10554 after the first and last committee hearing, Nordeco is still hopeful it will not suffer a similar fate at the Senate.
“It is disappointing that even during the House Committee’s first and only deliberation, the Department of Energy, National Electrification Administration, and the Energy Regulatory Commission have yet to submit their official position papers, and yet, the measure was approved,” Jagunos said.
Nordeco simply wants “due process” which means the cooperative should be given the chance to defend itself and prove their critics wrong, he added.
‘They simply insisted that the LGU officials of the franchise areas being considered have already spoken – which does not matter because as a cooperative, the voices that we should listen to are those of the member-owner-consumers, not of the politicians,” Jagunos said.
House Bill 10554extending the franchise of Davao Light and Power Company (DLPC) to areas operated by Nordeco is not yet a law.
The bill has yet to be deliberated in the Senate. Pending its deliberation Nordeco is doing its obligation to serve its 234,644 member-consumer-owners, Nordeco said in a statement.
Nordeco has the obligation to serve the areas under its jurisdiction as provided in Section 41(c) of Republic Act 6038 (the National Electrification Administration Act) –“no franchise shall be granted to any other person within any area or portion for which a cooperative holds a franchise.”
Nordeco maintained they will continue to operate until the expiration of its franchise in 2028except for Samal Island which is yet to expire in 2033.
Nordeco said that the said bill was recommended for approval by the Legislative Franchise Committee on November 29, 2021, despite the non-submission of position papers from the National Electrification Administration, Department of Energy, and Energy Regulatory Commission and after its 1 hour and 45 minutes discussion.
Two days later on December 1, 2021, it was calendared and approved forsecond reading.
The bill was approved by the 18th Congress on January 24, 2022.
HB10544 aims to expand the franchise area of DLPC to “construct, operate and maintain an electric light, heat, and power system” in areas already serviced by Nordeco, namely: Davao City and the Davao del Norte towns of Carmen, Panabo, Dujali, andSanto Tomas for 25 years.
“We emphasized that we are not questioning the legitimacy – for now – ofthe approved LGU resolutions that they used to justify the bill’s passage and legitimacy, Jagunos said.
“But we would like to emphasize as well that 94,755 member-consumer owners signed the Manifesto against the take-over of Nordeco. These are 94,755 verified bonafide member-consumer-owners of Nordeco, Inc. registering their resounding support to the co-op and objecting to the takeover of private-for-profit Davao Light,” he said.
Workers of NORDECO continue to hold Black Protest every Friday of the week to denounce the looming take over of the electric cooperative by DLPC. Photo from Nordeco Facebook page.
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